Grafton Arms, Grafton Street. (c) Adam B. at flickr.
This Joseph Holt's house halfway down Grafton Street at the entrance to the Manchester Royal Infirmary is a fairly new-build local's pub, despite being in student-land. The original Grafton Arms, shown below, was for some reason replaced by Holt's despite being a fine-looking establishment.
The new Grafton Arms is a typical two-roomed modern boozer - a large lounge and vault with a central bar. The usual Holt's ales were offer, but unfortunately, neither the Bitter nor the IPA were in particularly good nick, although the scattering of locals in here on a Saturday afternoon seemed happy enough supping it. A decent back yard for the smokers ironically overlooks the hospital entrance.
The Grafton Arms is a bit of a throwback sort of place, with lone old gents, a couple of chaps betting, and a rowdy mixed group of locals, giving it an estate pub feel. Inside there are some superb pictures hung; most of them drawings of central Manchester locations, including fellow Holt's new-build, the Old Monkey. The advertised karaoke at 9pm was temping, but alas we had places to be.
Grafton Arms, Grafton Street. (c) Pubs of Manchester.
The neighbouring Bowling Green has sadly closed and the Grafton Hotel on the other side of Grafton Street has been demolished. The future of the Grafton Arms is uncertain, but let's hope it survives, with a combination of loyal locals, the odd bunch of brave students, not forgetting patients and their visitors nipping out for a quick scoop.
Grafton Arms, Grafton Street. (c) Adam B. at flickr.
The old Grafton may have looked a fine place but all was not well beneath. A friend of mine went into the cellar a few weeks before it closed and recalls that there were mushrooms the size of dinner plates growing up the walls!
ReplyDeleteMy mum's aunties used to go in the fifties, they lived near by. One of them saw a man get his throat cut by gangsters, no one dared to move.
ReplyDeleteI lived opposite the grafton arms and it was so exiting back in the 50s I would watch the brawling with my auntie late at night when they came out and I remember lady came out having a row and hit the chap with her high heels 👠great times allways something going on brilliant street to live in.lots of welknown people we didn't no at the time and famous people would stay in the hotels I was 13 years old. Happy days
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